TRIBES



Is this My Tribe Image from remote tribes website


This week I had some time to read my Triathlete magazine ( August Issue) which I have subscribed to .

What I enjoy about the magazine is that it is colourful (after all my retention and concentration power is limited) , lots of great pictures of Triathletes , bikes and Gear.Some interesting articles catch my eye from time to time and this week the piece by the Editor in Chief Julia Polloreno .

She wrote about her first job in George Lucas' creative company . It was a tribe ...a family as  it collected a group of like minded people with a passion. That passion showed through in the production of great films and the length of time people stayed in the company. When she moved back to the East coast of USA she said she left that sense of community .She found it again when she started doing Triathlons.

Tribes are a group of people who share a passion , a mission , a leader or an activity. Human beings like what other human beings do in their tribe.Their habits and language. Seth Godin wrote a book about Tribes .Here's the book

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us


by: Seth Godin
Amazon Price: $12.63 (as of 05/03/2011)
Tribes is a book about marketing, apparently, except it's actually about leadership.
We see Tribes behind every successful brand, organization, politician, non profit and cause. And yet it seems almost impossible to attract a tribe. In this book, I try to explain that the challenge is leadership, not marketing or hype.

Seth spoke at a talk in New York on Marketing , the example of the Grateful Dead a Rock band with a single hit but they created a Tribe . They attracted a following. People on the Internet can now easily create their own tribes .Triathlon has its Tribe .It is unique , fiercely passionate and very distinct .All traits of a tribe. As Julia writes in her piece , I have never felt in a tribe in any other sport , Triathlon has galvanised that passion and I see it in the triathletes I train with and meet all round the world. What is the attraction ?. They share my passion for the sport.

Posted on my face book this week is a piece 50-ways-to-identify triathlon obsession It is rather stale as I recall 4 years ago stumbling over these list and having a good laugh. Sadly I identify with many of the traits .I am in the tribe.

This week I identified with my tribes. I am in Exceed .I ride with a group of Exceed riders. I swim in Ross's swim squad .I am in lane 1 .I run on Tuesday with Brad Hoskings running group and on most Wednesdays I run with the Running Centre group .These are my tribes. I am connected and identify with these groups .

I race Ironman and triathlons .That is my tribe.

Some are easy to join and others not so easy .Like Hari Krishna's , you have to wear orange , be a vegetarian and meditate and chant and devote your life to belong .On the other hand watching 2 hours of Oprah each day qualifies you to be part of the Oprah tribe says Seth .It provides a sense of belonging , a purpose and the benefit ,health , mentally and physically and possibly a longer more productive life.

My thoughts are echoed by many . It isn't new . In another blog ,The Branding network  Cal Jackson says :

The members of your tribe are your allies on your life journey. When you're creating or expanding your tribe, look for people who will lift you up, help you grow, recharge you, inspire you, and celebrate with you, and who are willing to lend a hand when you need it. In addition, always remember that as a tribe member you have responsibilities toward your tribe. You need to give back to the tribe and offer other tribe members your support, just as they support you.

Now get out there and start creating or expanding your tribe.




Be it work or play . I hope to create my Tribe.